CN102381041B - Liquid container, liquid injection system, and liquid supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid storage container, a liquid injection system, and a liquid supply system. An object of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of reducing the possibility of bubbles generated when pouring a liquid into a liquid storage container having a liquid filling port overflowing from the liquid filling port. The liquid storage container includes: a liquid storage chamber; a liquid injection port, one end of which is opened toward the outside and the other end is opened in the liquid storage chamber, and the liquid injection port is used for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber; and an outlet part , the liquid storage chamber has a space portion, which is formed by the wall portion forming the liquid storage chamber, in the injection state of injecting liquid from the liquid injection port, the space portion opens vertically downward, and in the injection state, the space portion is located at a lower position than The other end of the liquid injection port is at the upper position.

Description

Liquid storage container, liquid injection system, and liquid supply system

technical field

The present invention relates to a liquid storage container, a liquid injection system and a liquid supply system provided with the liquid storage container.

Background technique

A printer as an example of a liquid ejecting device ejects ink from a recording head toward a recording object (for example, printing paper) to perform printing. As an ink supply technique for supplying ink to a recording head, there is known a technique for supplying ink to a recording head from an ink cartridge arranged outside a printer through a hose (for example, Patent Document 1). The ink cartridge has an ink inlet, and the user can easily inject (replenish) ink from the ink inlet.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-219483

When injecting (refilling) ink by dropping ink into the ink cartridge from the ink inlet, bubbles may be generated on the surface (water surface) of the injected ink. If ink is continuously injected in a state where bubbles are generated, bubbles may overflow from the ink injection port.

The above problems are not limited to ink cartridges, but are common to liquid storage containers that store liquid ejected by a liquid ejection device, that is, liquid storage containers that have a liquid injection port for injecting liquid into the interior.

Contents of the invention

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for reducing the possibility of bubbles generated when a liquid is injected into a liquid storage container having a liquid injection port overflowing from the liquid injection port.

The present invention has been made to solve at least a part of the above-mentioned problems, and the invention can be realized as the following embodiments or application examples.

Application example 1

A liquid storage container, characterized in that the liquid storage container is used to supply liquid to a liquid ejection device, wherein,

The above-mentioned liquid storage container has:

a liquid storage chamber, the liquid storage chamber is used for containing the above-mentioned liquid;

a liquid injection port, one end of which is opened toward the outside and the other end is opened in the liquid storage chamber, the liquid injection port is used to inject the liquid into the liquid storage chamber; and

a lead-out part, one end of the lead-out part, that is, a liquid outlet part, opens in the liquid storage chamber, and the lead-out part is used to supply the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to the liquid ejection device,

The liquid storage chamber has a space portion formed by a wall portion forming the liquid storage chamber, and the space portion is opened vertically downward when the liquid injection port is opened vertically upward,

In the injection state, the space portion is located above the other end portion of the liquid injection port.

According to the liquid storage container described in Application Example 1, since the liquid storage chamber has the space portion located above the other end portion of the liquid injection port, bubbles in the liquid storage chamber generated when the liquid is injected can be stored in the space. department. Accordingly, compared with a liquid storage container having no space, it is possible to reduce the possibility that bubbles generated when liquid is injected overflow from the liquid injection port.

Application example 2

The liquid storage container according to application example 1, wherein,

In the injection state, the one end portion of the liquid injection port is located above the space portion.

According to the liquid storage container described in Application Example 2, since the one end portion of the liquid injection port is located above the space portion, the possibility of bubbles generated when the liquid is injected from overflowing from the liquid injection port can be further reduced.

Application example 3

The liquid storage container according to the application example 1 or 2, wherein

In the injection state, the liquid outlet portion of the outlet portion is located below the space portion.

According to the liquid storage container described in Application Example 3, it is possible to reduce the possibility of intrusion of bubbles generated when the liquid is injected into the outlet portion. This can reduce the possibility of air bubbles being introduced from the liquid storage container into the head of the liquid ejection device, and prevent occurrence of head failures such as so-called empty spray.

Application example 4

A liquid injection system, characterized in that the above-mentioned liquid injection system has:

The liquid storage container described in any one of Application Examples 1 to 3;

a liquid ejecting device having a head for ejecting the liquid to an object; and

and a flow pipe connecting the outlet portion of the liquid storage container and the liquid ejection device, and allowing the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to flow to the liquid ejection device.

According to the liquid ejection system described in Application Example 4, it is possible to provide a liquid ejection system including a liquid storage container capable of reducing the possibility that bubbles generated when liquid is injected overflow from the liquid injection port.

Application example 5

A liquid supply system, characterized in that the above-mentioned liquid supply system has:

The liquid storage container described in any one of Application Examples 1 to 3;

a sub-tank having a liquid flow path and a liquid receiving portion through which the liquid supplied to a head for spraying the liquid toward an object flows; and

and a flow pipe connecting the outlet portion of the liquid storage container and the liquid receiving portion of the sub tank, and allowing the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to flow toward the sub tank.

According to the liquid supply system described in Application Example 5, it is possible to provide a liquid supply system including a liquid storage container capable of reducing the possibility of bubbles generated when liquid is poured out of the liquid injection port.

In addition, the present invention can be realized in various embodiments. In addition to the above-mentioned liquid storage container and the liquid ejection system including the liquid ejection device and the liquid storage container, the above-mentioned method of manufacturing the liquid storage container, using the above-mentioned liquid Various methods, such as the liquid injection method of an injection system, etc. are realized.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a liquid ejection system 1 of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the box unit 50 .

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of the liquid ejection system 1 .

FIG. 4 is a first external perspective view of the ink cartridge 30 .

FIG. 5 is a second external perspective view of the ink cartridge 30 .

FIG. 6 is a third external perspective view of the ink cartridge 30 .

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the remaining amount of ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is small.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an ink injection operation of injecting ink into the ink cartridge 30 .

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an ink cartridge 30a of the second embodiment.

Label description

1: liquid ejection system; 10: casing; 12: inkjet printer (printer); 13: paper supply section; 14: paper discharge section; 16: carriage; 16a: ink supply needle; 17: recording head; 20 : sub-box; 20Bk: sub-box; 20Ma: sub-box; 20Cn: sub-box; 20Yw: sub-box; 24: hose; 30: liquid storage container (ink cartridge); 30a: ink cartridge; 1 film; 50: box unit; 54: top shell; 54a: one side; 56: first side shell; 58: second side shell; 202: liquid receiving part; 204: ink storage chamber; 206: filter device; 208: ink flow path; 302: plug member; 304: liquid inlet; 304a: liquid inlet; 304m: lower end; 304p: upper end; 306: liquid outlet; 317: air inlet; 318: atmosphere Open opening; 322: second film; 324: protrusion; 325a: hole; 328: fitting unit; 330: air storage chamber; 340: liquid storage chamber; 341: space portion; 342: dividing wall portion; 345: Liquid holding part; 349: Liquid outlet part; 350: Communication part; 362: Rib; 370: Opening side (opening wall part); 370b: Opposing wall part; 370c: Connecting wall part; 370c1: First wall part; : second wall; 980: container for replenishment; 990: bubble; G: air (bubble); LM1: lower limit line; LM2: upper limit line; sf: setting surface.

Detailed ways

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order.

A. The first embodiment:

B. Second embodiment:

C.Modification

A. The first embodiment:

A-1. Structure of liquid injection system:

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a liquid ejection system 1 of a first embodiment. FIG. 1(A) is a first external perspective view of the liquid ejection system 1 . FIG. 1(B) is a second external perspective view of the liquid ejection system 1, showing a liquid storage container 30 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In addition, in FIG. 1, mutually orthogonal XYZ axis|shafts are shown in order to determine a direction. In addition, the XYZ axes which are perpendicular to each other are shown also about the following figure as needed.

As shown in FIG. 1(A) , the liquid ejection system 1 includes: an inkjet printer 12 (also simply referred to as “printer 12 ”) as a liquid ejection device; and a tank unit 50 . The printer 12 includes a paper supply unit 13 , a paper discharge unit 14 , a carriage (sub-tank mounting unit) 16 , and four sub-tanks 20 . The four sub-tanks 20 store inks of different colors. Specifically, the four sub-tanks 20 are: sub-tank 20Bk for storing black ink, sub-tank 20Cn for storing cyan ink, sub-tank 20Ma for storing magenta ink, and sub-tank 20Yw for storing yellow ink. Four sub-tanks are mounted on the carriage 16 .

The printing paper set in the paper supply unit 13 is conveyed into the printer 12 , and the printed printing paper is discharged from the paper discharge unit 14 .

The carriage 16 is movable in the main scanning direction (paper width direction, X-axis direction). This movement is performed via a timing belt (not shown) driven by a stepping motor (not shown). A recording head (not shown) is provided on the lower surface of the carriage 16 . Printing is performed by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles of the recording head onto the printing paper. In addition, various components constituting the printer 12 , such as the timing belt and the carriage 16 , are accommodated and protected inside the casing 10 .

The box unit 50 includes a top case 54 , a first side case 56 , a second side case 58 , and a bottom case (not shown). The cases 54, 56, 58 and the bottom case can be molded from synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP) or polystyrene (PS). In this embodiment, the housings 54, 56, 58, and the bottom housing are formed using polystyrene. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1(B), the tank unit 50 includes four ink cartridges 30 serving as liquid storage containers surrounded by cases (cover members) 54, 56, 58 and a bottom case (cover member). The box unit 50 is more stably installed in a predetermined place (for example, a horizontal surface such as a table or a shelf) by the casings 54, 56, 58 and the bottom surface casing. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1(A), the top case (54) can be opened and closed in the arrow Yp direction with one side 54a as a fulcrum.

The four ink cartridges 30 store inks corresponding to the colors of the inks stored in the four sub tanks 20 . That is, the four ink cartridges 30 store black ink, cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink, respectively. In addition, the ink cartridge 30 can accommodate a larger amount of ink than that accommodated in the sub tank 20 .

Ink cartridges 30 containing inks of various colors are connected to sub-tanks 20 containing inks of corresponding colors through hoses (pipes) 24 . The hose 24 is formed of a flexible member such as synthetic rubber. When the ink of the sub tank 20 is consumed by ejecting ink from the recording head, the ink of the ink cartridge 30 is supplied to the sub tank 20 via the hose 24 . As a result, the liquid ejection system 1 can continue printing continuously for a long period of time without interruption. In addition, the sub tank 20 may not be provided, and the ink may be directly supplied from the ink cartridge 30 to the recording head via the hose 24 .

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the box unit 50 . In FIG. 2 , illustration of the top case 54 and the bottom case is omitted. As for the tank unit 50 , in the usage state when ink is supplied to the printer 12 , the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction, and the Z-axis negative direction is the vertical downward direction. Each ink cartridge 30 has a fitting unit 328 for fitting with an adjacent ink cartridge 30 to form an integral body. The fitting unit 328 includes a hole 325 a and a protruding protrusion 324 . By fitting the protrusion 324 of the other adjacent ink cartridge 30 into the hole 325 a of one ink cartridge 30 , the adjacent ink cartridges 30 are assembled together and integrated. In addition, the protruding portion 324 can be detached from the hole portion 325 a by external force, and the integrated ink cartridge 30 can be easily disassembled. Accordingly, the tank unit 50 can easily change the number of arrangement (number of stacks) of the ink cartridges 30 according to the number and specifications of ink colors used in the printer 12 .

Before describing the detailed structure of the tank unit 50 , the principle of supplying ink from the ink cartridge 30 to the sub tank 20 and the general structure of the ink tank 30 and the sub tank 20 will be described using FIG. 3 for ease of understanding. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of the liquid ejection system 1 .

The liquid ejection system 1 is installed on a predetermined installation surface sf which is a horizontal plane. The ink cartridge 30 includes a liquid outlet portion 306 , a liquid storage chamber 340 , an air storage chamber 330 , a liquid inlet 304 , a plug member 302 , an air inlet 317 , and an air opening 318 .

In the usage posture of the ink cartridge 30 when the ink cartridge 30 supplies ink to the sub tank 20 , the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction, and the Z-axis negative direction is the vertical downward direction. In addition, in the injection state when ink is injected into the ink cartridge 30 (the state where the liquid injection port 304 is opened vertically upward), the X-axis direction is the vertical direction, and the X-axis negative direction is the vertical downward direction. Also, when ink is injected into one ink cartridge 30 in the tank unit 50 in which two or more ink cartridges 30 are arranged (stacked), all the ink cartridges 30 are in the filled state because the state of the tank unit 50 changes integrally. Furthermore, when injecting ink into the ink cartridge 30, the user needs to open the top case 54 (FIG. 1(A)).

The liquid storage chamber 340 stores ink. The liquid storage chamber 340 has a partition wall portion 342 extending a predetermined length from the inner surface of the first wall portion 370c1 into the liquid storage chamber 340 . The partition wall portion 342 is formed inside the liquid storage chamber 340 over the entire area in the Y-axis direction (width direction). That is, the partition wall portion 342 partitions the first wall portion 370c1 into two regions. A region that communicates with the liquid outlet part 306 among the regions divided into two regions is called a liquid holding part 345 . Furthermore, the liquid storage chamber 340 has a space portion 341 . The space portion 341 has a concave shape formed by the wall portion forming the liquid storage chamber 340 , and opens in the vertically downward direction (X-axis negative direction) when the ink cartridge 30 is filled. In addition, the space portion 341 is located above (in the positive X-axis direction) the lower end portion 304m of the liquid injection port 304 when the ink cartridge is filled (the liquid injection port 304 is opened vertically upward). In addition, for ease of understanding, the boundary between the space portion 341 in the liquid storage chamber 340 and other regions is shown by a dotted line.

The liquid injection port 304 has a circular flow path inside and communicates with the liquid storage chamber 340 . Specifically, the upper end 304p that is one end of the liquid injection port 304 opens to the outside, and the lower end 304m that is the other end opens in the liquid storage chamber 340 . The plug member 302 is detachably attached to the liquid injection port 304 and prevents ink from leaking from the liquid injection port 304 to the outside. When the ink cartridge 30 is in use, the liquid injection port 304 opens in a direction (horizontal direction, positive X-axis direction in FIG. 3 ) perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

A liquid outlet portion 349 , which is one end portion of the liquid outlet portion 306 , is connected to the liquid storage chamber 340 . In other words, the liquid outlet portion 349 opens into the liquid storage chamber 340 . The liquid outlet portion 349 is located below the space portion 341 (on the negative side in the X-axis direction) when the ink cartridge is filled. The liquid outlet portion 306 of the ink cartridge 30 and the liquid receiving portion 202 of the sub tank 20 are connected via the hose 24 . Thus, the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 flows from the liquid outlet portion 306 to the sub tank 20 through the hose 24 .

The air inlet 317 and the air opening 318 are both ends of a serpentine flow path for introducing air from the outside into the ink cartridge 30 . The atmosphere opening 318 communicates with the air storage chamber 330 . The air storage chamber 330 communicates with the liquid storage chamber 340 through the communication part 350 which is a narrow flow path. The communicating portion 350 serves as a flow path with a flow path so small in cross-sectional area that a meniscus can be formed. A meniscus is formed in the communicating portion 350 in a state when ink is supplied to the printer 12 , that is, in a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is in use.

The air storage chamber 330 has a predetermined capacity, and the air in the liquid storage chamber 340 expands due to temperature change, etc., and stores a predetermined amount of ink when the ink flows back through the communication portion 350 . That is, the ink cartridge 30 includes the air storage chamber 330 , thereby reducing the possibility of the ink leaking to the outside from the air inlet 317 even when the ink flows backward.

After the ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340 from the liquid injection port 304 in the injection state (the state in which the liquid injection port 304 is opened vertically upward), the liquid injection port 304 is sealed by the plug member 302 to form a use state. , the air in the liquid storage chamber 340 expands, and the liquid storage chamber 340 is maintained at a negative pressure. Furthermore, the air storage chamber 330 is maintained at atmospheric pressure by communicating with the atmosphere opening 318 .

The sub-tank 20 is formed of synthetic resin such as polystyrene and polyethylene. The sub-tank 20 includes an ink storage chamber 204 , an ink flow path 208 , and a filter 206 . The ink supply needle 16 a of the carriage 16 is inserted into the ink flow path 208 . The filter 206 is used to catch impurities such as foreign substances in the ink to prevent the impurities from flowing into the recording head 17 . The ink in the ink cartridge storage chamber 204 flows through the ink flow path 208 and the ink supply needle 16 a by suction from the recording head 17 , and is supplied to the recording head 17 . The ink supplied to the recording head 17 is ejected to the outside (printing paper) through the nozzles.

In the state of use, the communicating portion 350 forming the meniscus is arranged at a lower position than the recording head 17 . Thereby, a water level difference d1 is generated. In addition, the water level difference d1 in the state where the meniscus is formed in the second channel 350 in the use state is referred to as "water level difference d1 in a steady state".

By sucking the ink in the ink storage chamber 204 by the recording head 17, the ink storage chamber 204 becomes a pressure lower than a predetermined negative pressure. When the pressure in the ink storage chamber 204 is lower than the predetermined negative pressure, the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is supplied to the ink storage chamber 204 via the hose 24 . That is, the ink storage chamber 204 is automatically replenished from the liquid storage chamber 340 with the amount of ink flowing out of the recording head 17 . In other words, by comparing the suction force (negative pressure) from the printer 12 side due to the height difference in the vertical direction between the ink liquid surface in the ink cartridge 30 in contact with the air storage chamber 330 and the recording head (specifically, the nozzle) On the other hand, the generated water level difference d1 is increased to some extent, and the ink is supplied from the liquid storage chamber 340 to the ink storage chamber 204 .

When the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is consumed, the air G (also referred to as “bubble G”) in the air storage chamber 330 is introduced into the liquid storage chamber 340 through the communication portion 350 . Thereby, the liquid level of the liquid storage chamber 340 falls.

A-2. Structure of Ink Cartridge

Next, the structure of the ink cartridge 30 will be described using FIGS. 4 to 6 . FIG. 4 is a first external perspective view of the ink cartridge 30 . FIG. 5 is a second external perspective view of the ink cartridge 30 . FIG. 6 is a third external perspective view of the ink cartridge 30 . Note that illustration of the plug member 302 ( FIG. 3 ) is omitted in FIGS. 4 to 6 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 , the ink cartridge 30 has a substantially cylindrical shape (in detail, a substantially prismatic shape). As shown in FIG. 4 , the ink cartridge 30 includes an ink cartridge body 32 , a first film 34 , and a second film 322 . The cartridge main body 32 is formed of synthetic resin such as polypropylene. Also, the ink cartridge main body 32 is translucent. Thereby, the user can visually confirm the amount of ink inside from the outside. The ink cartridge main body 32 has a concave shape with an open side. Ribs (wall portions) 362 of various shapes are formed in the concave portion of the ink cartridge body 32 . Here, one side of the opening (one side including the outer frame of the ink cartridge body 32 forming the opening) is also referred to as an opening side 370 (opening wall portion 370 ).

The first film 34 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene and is transparent. The first film 34 is adhered to the ink cartridge main body 32 by heat welding so as to cover the opening of the opening side surface 370 . Specifically, the first film 34 is closely adhered to the end surface of the rib 362 and the end surface of the outer frame of the ink cartridge main body 32 so that no gap occurs. Thereby, a plurality of small chambers are formed. Specifically, the air storage chamber 330, the liquid storage chamber 340, and the communication part 350 are mainly formed. That is, the air storage chamber 330 , the liquid storage chamber 340 , and the communication portion 350 are formed by the cartridge main body 32 and the first film 34 . In addition, the attachment of the first film 34 to the ink cartridge body 32 is not limited to thermal welding, and may be attached using an adhesive, for example.

The liquid storage chamber 340 is formed by a plurality of walls. Specifically, it mainly includes: an opening wall portion 370 formed by the first film 34; an opposing wall portion 370b (FIG. ) and the opening wall portion 370; As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the outer shape of the opening wall portion 370 and the outer shape of the facing wall portion 370b are the same shape (convex shape).

As shown in FIG. 6 , the plurality of connecting wall portions 370c includes: a first wall portion 370c1 and a second wall portion 370c2. When the ink cartridge 30 is assembled as the tank unit 50 (FIG. 1(A)), the first wall portion 370c1 can be visually recognized from the outside, and the second wall portion 370c2 can be visually recognized from the outside by opening the top case 54. . In addition, when the ink cartridges 30 are assembled as the tank unit 50, among the plurality of wall portions forming the liquid storage chamber 340, an opening wall having a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the plurality of ink cartridges 30 are arranged (stacking direction, Y-axis direction) The portion 370 ( FIG. 4 ) and the facing wall portion 370b ( FIG. 5 ) cannot be visually recognized from the outside.

The first wall portion 370c1 is a wall portion that stands upright with respect to the installation surface (horizontal surface) on which the ink cartridge 30 is installed when the ink cartridge 30 is in use. That is, the first wall portion 370c1 is a wall portion extending upward from the bottom when the ink cartridge 30 is in use. In the case of this embodiment, the first wall portion 370c1 constitutes the wall portion of the ink cartridge 30 so as to have an angle substantially perpendicular to the installation surface (horizontal plane) when the ink cartridge 30 is in use. In addition, the first wall portion 370c1 constitutes the bottom surface of the ink cartridge 30 in the filled state of the ink cartridge 30 (the state in which the liquid injection port 304 is opened vertically upward).

The second wall portion 370c2 is a wall portion erected with respect to the installation surface (horizontal plane) on which the ink cartridge 30 is installed when the ink cartridge 30 is filled (the liquid injection port 304 is opened vertically upward). That is, the second wall portion 370c2 is a wall portion extending upward from the bottom when the ink cartridge 30 is filled. In the case of the present embodiment, the second wall portion 370c2 constitutes the wall portion of the ink cartridge 30 so as to have a substantially vertical angle with respect to the installation surface (horizontal plane) in the filled state of the ink cartridge 30 .

As shown in FIG. 6, the lower limit line LM1 which is a lower limit part is provided in the 1st wall part 370c1. An upper limit line LM2 as an upper limit portion is provided on the second wall portion 370c2. The lower limit line LM1 and the upper limit line LM2 are linear. The lower limit line LM1 is a line that is horizontal (perpendicular to the vertical direction) in the state of use. The upper limit line LM2 is a line that is horizontal (perpendicular to the vertical direction) in the injected state. Furthermore, the lower limit line LM1 and the upper limit line LM2 are in the shape of protrusions protruding from the outer surfaces of the wall portions 370c1 and 370c2 provided thereon, and are formed integrally with the ink cartridge main body 32 .

The lower limit line LM1 is set to notify the user that the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 has been consumed and the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 has reached the first threshold when the ink cartridge 30 is in use. The upper limit line LM2 is set to notify the user that the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 has reached the second threshold when ink is injected from the liquid injection port 304 into the liquid storage chamber 340 in the ink cartridge filled state. That is, the lower limit line LM1 and the upper limit line LM2 are used to recognize from the outside that the amount of liquid in the liquid storage chamber 340 has reached the first or second threshold.

A-3. How to inject ink:

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the remaining amount of ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is small. In addition, in practice, the liquid outlet portion 306 and the liquid receiving portion 202 of the sub tank 20 are connected via the hose 24 , but the illustration of the hose 24 is omitted. In addition, FIG. 7 is a diagram of the ink cartridge 30 viewed from the Y-axis positive direction.

As shown in FIG. 7 , when the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is supplied to the printer 12 and consumed, the ink level drops, and the ink level reaches the lower limit line LM1 . When the ink liquid level reaches the vicinity of the lower limit line LM1 , the user injects (replenishes) ink into the liquid storage chamber 340 . In this way, the liquid storage chamber 30 urges the user to replenish ink into the liquid storage chamber 340 via the lower limit line LM1 , thereby preventing the printer 12 from performing printing in a state in which there is no ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 . Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the possibility of air (air bubbles) being introduced into the printer 12 from the liquid storage chamber 340 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent occurrence of malfunctions (missing dots, etc.) of the printer 12 .

When injecting ink into the liquid storage chamber 340 , the ink cartridge 30 is rotated from a state in which the opening of the liquid injection port 304 is oriented horizontally to a state in which the opening of the liquid injection port 304 is oriented vertically upward, as indicated by arrow YR. Specifically, the tank unit 50 shown in FIG. 1(A) is rotated, and the four ink cartridges 30 constituting the tank unit 50 are rotated in the arrow YR direction. As a result, the state of the ink cartridge 30 changes from the use state to the filling state (state in which the liquid injection port 304 is opened vertically upward). That is, the ink cartridge 30 can be used in two states, the use state and the filling state in which the opening of the liquid injection port 304 faces the outside in different directions. The user can visually confirm the second wall portion 370c2 provided with the upper limit line LM2 from the outside by opening the top case 54 ( FIG. 1(A) ) after the ink cartridge 30 is in the filled state.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an ink injection operation of injecting ink into the ink cartridge 30 . FIG. 8(A) shows the state of the ink inside the ink cartridge 30 when the ink cartridge 30 is changed from the use state to the filling state after the ink liquid level reaches the lower limit line LM1. FIG. 8(B) is a diagram showing a state in which ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340 from the liquid injection port 304 , and shows a state after the liquid level of the ink reaches the upper limit line LM2 . 8(A) and (B) are diagrams when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed from the Y-axis positive direction side. In addition, in FIGS. 8(A) and (B), the liquid outlet portion 306 is actually connected to the liquid receiving portion 202 of the sub tank 20 via the hose 24 , but the illustration of the hose 24 is omitted. In addition, FIG. 8(A) has shown the state which removed the plug member 302 after bringing the ink cartridge 30 into an injection state.

As shown in FIG. 8(A), with respect to the height direction (vertical direction, X-axis direction) under the injection state of the ink cartridge 30 (the state where the liquid injection port 304 is opened vertically upward), the upper end portion of the liquid injection port 304 is 304p is located in the range where the space portion 341 is located.

When the state of the ink cartridge is changed from the in-use state to the filling state while the remaining amount of ink is low, the liquid holding unit 345 prevents the ink from flowing out to other parts of the liquid storage chamber 340 . That is, the partition wall portion 342 blocks the flow of ink in the direction away from the liquid outlet portion 349 (Z-axis positive direction). Therefore, in the injected state, the water level in the liquid holding part 345 can be maintained higher than that in other parts. More specifically, the water level (liquid surface) of the ink in the liquid holding part 345 can be maintained at the height of the liquid outlet part 349 or higher by the partition wall part 342 extending higher than the liquid outlet part 349 in the injected state. As a result, even when the remaining amount of ink is small, the ink in the liquid outlet portion 306 and the ink in the liquid holding portion 345 can exist continuously without air being trapped. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of air (air bubbles) flowing from the liquid outlet portion 349 into the liquid outlet portion 306 and into the sub tank 20 through the hose 24 when ink is injected. As a result, since air does not flow into the recording head 17 ( FIG. 3 ) side during ink injection, it is possible to suppress dot leaks due to idle ejection, and to suppress deterioration in printing quality.

As shown in FIG. 8(B), the work of replenishing ink into the liquid storage chamber 340 is performed using a refill container 980 containing ink. Specifically, the liquid storage chamber 340 is replenished with ink by dropping ink from the replenishment container 980 into the liquid storage chamber 340 . When the ink is dropped into the liquid storage chamber 340 to replenish the ink, bubbles 990 are generated in the replenished ink, and the bubbles 990 are suspended on the ink liquid surface (ink surface). Here, as described above, the upper limit line LM2 is to remind the user to inject ink from the liquid injection port 304 and to store a sufficient amount in the liquid storage chamber 340 (the amount of ink will not overflow from the liquid injection port 304, the first Two thresholds) are set according to the situation of the ink. As shown in FIG. 8(B), the user injects ink into the liquid storage chamber 340 until the liquid level of the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 reaches the upper limit line LM2.

Ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340, and as the liquid level of the ink rises, the bubbles 990 also rise. Here, the liquid storage chamber 340 has an opening in the vertically downward direction (X-axis negative direction) in the injected state (the state in which the liquid injection port 304 is opened in the vertically upward direction), and is located closer to the lower end portion 304 m of the liquid injection port 304 . The space part 341 at the upper position. Therefore, when the bubbles 990 in the liquid level of the ink rise, the bubbles 990 can remain (escape) in the space portion 341 . This reduces the possibility that the bubbles 990 in the liquid storage chamber 340 overflowing from the liquid injection port 304 , which are generated when the ink is injected, can be reduced.

As described above, since the ink cartridge 30 of the first embodiment has the space 341 in the liquid storage chamber 340, compared with an ink cartridge that does not have the space 341, it is possible to reduce the amount of bubbles 990 generated when injecting ink from the liquid injection port. 304 overflow possibility. Furthermore, in the injected state of the ink cartridge 30 (the state where the liquid inlet 304 is opened vertically upward), the liquid outlet portion 349 of the liquid outlet portion 306 is located below the space portion 341 . This can reduce the possibility of the bubbles 990 floating on the ink liquid surface generated when the ink is injected into the recording head 17 of the printer 12 via the liquid outlet portion 306 and the hose 24 ( FIG. 3 ). Accordingly, the liquid ejection system 1 including the ink cartridge 30 can suppress defects of the printer 12 such as so-called empty ejection. In addition, since the lower limit line LM1 and the upper limit line LM2 are horizontal straight lines in each state (use state, injection state), the user can easily check the amount of ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 in each state. That is, the user can easily confirm the timing of ink replenishment and the timing of completion of ink replenishment. In addition, since the lower limit line LM1 and the upper limit line LM2 are horizontal straight lines in each state (use state, injection state), the user can easily compare the ink liquid level with the lower limit line LM1 or the upper limit line LM2. It is judged whether the ink cartridge 30 is installed on a horizontal plane. That is, if the lower limit line LM1 or the upper limit line LM2 is inclined with respect to the ink liquid level, it can be seen that the ink cartridge 30 is not installed on a horizontal plane.

B. Second embodiment:

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an ink cartridge 30a of the second embodiment. FIG. 9(A) is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 8(A), and FIG. 9(B) is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 8(B). The difference from the ink cartridge 30 of the first embodiment lies in the shapes of the liquid injection ports 304, 304a. The other structures (liquid storage chamber 340, space portion 341, etc.) are the same as those of the ink cartridge 30 of the first embodiment, and thus the same reference numerals are assigned to the same structures, and descriptions thereof are omitted. Also, the structure of the top case 54 and the like of the box unit 50 and the structure of the printer 12 are the same as those of the first embodiment, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9(A), the ink cartridge 30a has a liquid injection port 304a. The upper end portion 304p of the liquid injection port 304a is located above the space portion 341 when the ink cartridge 30a is filled.

As shown in FIG. 9(B), when ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340 until the ink liquid level in the liquid storage chamber 340 reaches the upper limit line LM2, bubbles 990 on the ink liquid level are retained in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In the space part 341 . Here, a part of the bubble 990 generated when ink is injected also exists in the vicinity of the liquid injection port 304a (specifically, the lower end portion 304m). In the second embodiment, the upper end portion 304p of the liquid injection port 304a is located above the space portion 341 in the injected state, so the possibility of the bubble 990 overflowing from the liquid injection port 304a can be reduced compared with the first embodiment.

C. Variations:

In addition, among the constituent elements in the above-described embodiments, elements other than the elements described in the independent claims of the claims are additional elements and can be appropriately omitted. Moreover, it is not limited to the said Example and embodiment of this invention, It can implement in various forms in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, For example, the following deformation|transformation is possible.

C-1. First modified example:

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the liquid injection port 304, 304a has a cylindrical shape extending a predetermined length from the wall portion forming the liquid storage chamber 340 (FIG. 8, FIG. 9). The portion 304p is open to the outside, and the other end portion, that is, the lower end portion 304m is open in the liquid storage chamber 340 . For example, the liquid injection port may be formed by providing a through hole in the wall portion forming the liquid storage chamber 340 . When the liquid inlet is formed by providing a through hole in the wall, the lower end 304m is a portion (surface) that opens into the liquid storage chamber 340, and the upper end 304p is a portion (surface) that opens to the outside. In this way, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the possibility of the bubble 990 generated when ink is injected from overflowing from the through hole, that is, the liquid injection port can be reduced by having the space portion 341 . Furthermore, since the liquid injection port is formed by providing a through hole in the wall forming the liquid storage chamber 340, there is no need to use a cylindrical member extending a predetermined length from the wall.

C-2. The second modified example:

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the space portion 341 is provided between the lower end portion 304m of the liquid inlet 304 in the liquid storage chamber 340 and the liquid outlet portion 349 of the liquid outlet portion 306m in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) in the use state. (Fig. 8, Fig. 9), but not limited thereto. For example, the space portion 341 may be provided at a position facing the liquid outlet portion 349 across the lower end portion 304m of the liquid injection port 304 in the liquid storage chamber 340 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) in the use state. That is, the space portion 341 , the lower end portion 304 m of the liquid injection port 304 , and the liquid outlet portion 349 may be formed sequentially from above to below in the vertical direction in the use state. In this way, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the possibility of the bubble 990 generated when ink is injected from overflowing from the through hole, that is, the liquid injection port can be reduced by having the space portion 341 .

C-3. The third modified example:

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the lower limit line LM1 and the upper limit line LM2 are linear, but they are not limited thereto, as long as the amount of ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 can be visually confirmed from the outside. For example, at least one of the lower limit line LM1 and the upper limit line LM2 may have a dotted shape. Furthermore, the lower limit line LM1 and the upper limit line LM2 may be colored black or the like. In addition, a plurality of lines (marks) may be provided at different heights in at least one of the lower limit line LM1 and the upper limit line LM2 in the vertical direction in each of the use state and the injection state. By providing a plurality of marks, the user can grasp the amount of liquid in the liquid storage chamber 340 with higher accuracy.

C-4. Fourth modified example:

In the above embodiments, the ink cartridge body 32 including the first wall portion 370c1 and the second wall portion 370c2 is translucent, but it may be transparent. Furthermore, as long as at least a part has a visual confirmation part that can visually confirm the ink inside the ink cartridge 30 from the outside, it does not matter if the inside of the ink cartridge 30 cannot be visually confirmed from the outside in other parts. That is, on the first wall portion 370c1 that can be visually recognized from the outside and is the first wall portion 370c1 having the first visually recognizable portion that can visually recognize the inside of the liquid storage chamber 340 from the outside, a lower limit portion is provided as a lower limit portion. Line LM1. The lower limit line LM1 should just be provided in the height range provided by the 1st visual confirmation part in a use state. The first visual confirmation part is, for example, transparent or translucent. In addition, an upper limit portion is provided as an upper limit portion on the second wall portion 370c2 that can be visually recognized from the outside and is a second wall portion 370c2 that has a second visually recognizable portion that can visually recognize the inside of the liquid storage chamber 340 from the outside. Line LM2. The upper limit line LM2 should just be provided in the height range provided in the 2nd visual confirmation part in the injected state. In this way, the user can easily confirm that the amount of ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 has reached the first threshold or the second threshold.

C-5. Fifth modified example:

In the above-mentioned embodiments, the ink cartridge 30 used in the printer 12 has been described as an example of the liquid storage container, but it is not limited thereto. Devices equipped with electrode material (conductive paste) injection heads used in electrode formation operations such as EL displays and surface emission displays (FED), devices equipped with living organism injection heads used in biochip production, and used as precision pipettes The present invention can be applied to a device of a sample ejection head, a liquid container for supplying liquid from a liquid ejection device such as a printing apparatus or a micro-dispenser, and a liquid container provided with a liquid injection port. When the liquid storage container is used in the above-mentioned various liquid ejection devices, the liquid (color material, conductive paste, living organism, etc.) corresponding to the type of liquid ejected by the various liquid ejection devices can be stored in the liquid storage container. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied as a liquid ejection system including various liquid ejection devices and liquid storage containers used in the various liquid ejection devices.

Claims (5)

1. A liquid storage container, characterized in that the liquid storage container is used to supply liquid to a liquid ejection device, wherein, The above-mentioned liquid storage container has: a liquid storage chamber, the liquid storage chamber is used for containing the above-mentioned liquid; a liquid injection port, one end of which is opened toward the outside and the other end is opened in the liquid storage chamber, the liquid injection port is used to inject the liquid into the liquid storage chamber; and a lead-out part, one end of the lead-out part, that is, a liquid outlet part, opens in the liquid storage chamber, and the lead-out part is used to supply the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to the liquid ejection device, The liquid storage chamber has a space portion formed by a wall portion forming the liquid storage chamber, and the space portion is opened vertically downward when the liquid injection port is opened vertically upward, In the injection state, the space portion is located above the other end portion of the liquid injection port, The liquid storage container has an atmospheric opening communicating with the liquid storage chamber for introducing air into the liquid storage container, and the liquid storage container may be formed such that the liquid inlet is located at a position lower than the atmospheric opening, and the The state where the liquid injection port is opened upward is the injection state when the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber, In the injection state, a wall portion facing vertically downward among the wall portions forming the space portion is located above the other end portion of the liquid injection port. 2. The liquid storage container according to claim 1, wherein: In the injection state, the one end portion of the liquid injection port is located above the space portion. 3. The liquid storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In the injection state, the liquid outlet portion of the outlet portion is located below the space portion. 4. A liquid injection system, characterized in that the liquid injection system has: The liquid storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a liquid ejecting device having a head for ejecting the liquid to an object; and and a flow pipe connecting the outlet portion of the liquid storage container and the liquid ejection device, and allowing the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to flow to the liquid ejection device. 5. A liquid supply system, characterized in that the above-mentioned liquid supply system has: The liquid storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a sub-tank having a liquid flow path and a liquid receiving portion through which the liquid supplied to a head for spraying the liquid toward an object flows; and and a flow pipe connecting the outlet portion of the liquid storage container and the liquid receiving portion of the sub tank, and allowing the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to flow toward the sub tank.